The emperor was to board the ship in a boat.

The new steam warship that was still undergoing artillery bombardment tests and the navigation tests that was about to begin was on board, which made Zhang Ergong a little difficult.

Today, this steam warship is the first new warship equipped with a steam turbine in the Ming Dynasty. No one is in a situation, and what will happen to this ship until it is completely certain.

After all, during the development of the steam engine, there were many explosions.

What if it was blown up by a steam engine installed in the aft compartment of a warship at this time today?

Zhang Ergong immediately pinched his palms with his fingers, allowing himself to drive this terrifying thought out of his head.

He raised his head and looked cautiously at the imperial grandson on the side, hoping that His Majesty the Emperor would dispel the idea of boarding the ship.

Zhu Yunxi tiptoed and glanced at the warship on the river in the distance.

Yu Daming's ordinary warships are almost the same, and even the masts on the deck of the ship are still retained, and they have not been reduced.

At the stern, two huge steel cylinders poke into the water, connecting to the huge propeller blades beneath the surface.

The ramming angles of the original Ming warships on the bow of the ship have also been replaced with steel construction, and the entire bow of the ship is encased.

This was presumably to evenly counterweight the entire ship, and after adding two steam engines to the aft compartment, the bow ramming angle was changed to ensure that the ship would not be heavy at the back and light at the front.

Looking at the transmission rod that had to be inserted diagonally into the water because of its tightness, Zhu Yunxi also wanted to board the ship and experience it for himself.

Zhu Yunxi glanced at Zhang Ergong: "I'm tired of Zhang Shilang arranging the boat for me to wait for boarding." ”

Zhang Ergong sighed helplessly in his heart and gave up his life.

Then he turned around and arranged with his officials for the emperor, the grandson and others to board the ship.

"Let the people go back to the ship first and turn off the steam engine. Then call the riverboats to cruise around the steam warships, just in case of emergency. ”

Zhang Ergong's face was solemn, and as he had been an official in the court for a long time, he finally realized the rules of officialdom and the strictness of imperial power.

The commander received the order, and when he went to the wharf trestle by the river to arrange things.

At this end, Zhu Yuanzhang had already taken his two eldest grandsons and walked along the outermost shipbuilding platform to the riverside wharf.

Even if he has been watching it for a long time, Zhu Yuanzhang is also curious and excited about the ships under construction on the shipbuilding platform around him.

He waved his hand at the largest warship under construction on the platform: "This is the treasure ship of the 5,000 sailors, how long will it take for this ship to be completed?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, if in the past, this treasure ship of 5,000 materials, aside from all the things of preparing materials and preparations, only on this shipbuilding platform, it would take a whole year of Longjiang Shipyard to build it."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook the corners of his clothes, put his hands behind his back, and looked sideways at Zhang Ergong: "In this way, it's faster now?" ”

Zhang Ergong arched his hand towards Zhu Yunxi: "The ministers will discuss with His Highness before the time, and get the method of flowing water and working together." Now, it is the treasure ship of 5,000 materials, and the Longjiang Shipyard can also be completed and launched within October. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang was suddenly curious: "You discussed the method with your grandson?" ”

Zhang Ergong nodded again and again, and praised: "His Royal Highness the Taisun is talented and wise, which is really beyond the reach of Weichen. Weichen can have these credits today, all of which are given by His Royal Highness Taisun. His Royal Highness often has wonderful ideas, which makes Weichen and others suddenly open, and things will go more smoothly. ”

Zhu Yunxi was a little helpless, the entire imperial court, Zhang Ergong could say this. And what makes him even more helpless is that even Zhang Ergong has now become a little 'clever tongue'.

Zhu Gaochi on the side said: "Yes, Qin has a way to do it together, Qin Zhiqiang crossbow ordnance, and a special person will be assigned to one place." Come to think of it, Brother Xi has the meaning of borrowing from here. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang, who heard this, became more and more satisfied.

The old man nodded with satisfaction: "It's better to read, you have to read more, and it's best to use everything in the book." ”

As he spoke, the old man looked at Zhu Yunxi with encouraging eyes.

"We've been doing well lately."

Zhu Yunxi hurriedly bowed his head, but he muttered two words in his heart.

These days, because his two cubs were raised in the Qianqing Palace, his status in the old man's place can be described as the sunset, which is very different from the past.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked very excited today, and his eyes kept patrolling the shipbuilding platform.

Every time he saw a novelty, he had to pull his left attendant Zhang Ergong to ask for details.

It's just that Zhang Ergong blurted out the names of various rare crafts in shipbuilding, and Zhu Yuanzhang didn't think about it, but asked Zhang Ergong to make it clear.

It seems that with Zhang Ergong's narration, the old man himself has already witnessed the whole process of shipbuilding.

The road of more than 200 zhang was soon completed in Zhu Yuanzhang's strong desire for knowledge.

On the trestle of the riverside wharf, several transferred river-walking boats have already been moored.

In the middle of Jiangxinzhou and the shore in the sandwich river, on the steam warship that got off the anchor, on the top of the tallest mast, a lookout held the mast in his hand, looked at the shore from time to time, and sometimes bowed his head, as if he was informing the person who put on the emperor's position.

"Grandpa be careful."

Seeing that the old man was about to step directly onto the river boat in high spirits, Zhu Yunxi shouted softly, stepped forward quickly, floated over the trestle and the side of the boat, stopped on the deck, and stretched out his hand to the old man who was a little unstable.

Zhu Yuanzhang held Zhu Yunxi's arm tightly with his palm, and only then did he stop his body from swaying a little because he was about to step on the river boat because of lack of preparation.

When the grandfather and grandson gained a firm foothold, Zhu Gaochi, Zhang Ergong and others also boarded the cabin deck one by one.

Looking at the Jiangxinzhou in front of him, because of the river boat that follows the waves under his feet, the picture is constantly undulating.

Zhu Yuanzhang probed slightly.

Zhu Yunxi quietly looked at it: "What is on Grandpa's mind?" ”

"I'm just thinking, how many miles of rivers have crossed by the people of the Central Plains? The only way to travel between the north and the south is by ferry. Zhu Yuanzhang patted the railing of the ship in front of him and said softly: "I don't know when the people of the Central Plains will be able to cross this moat smoothly." ”

"There will be a smooth road in the trenches." Zhu Yunxi's face was convinced, and he said with a smile: "Pan Deshan built a dam with cement on the Yellow River to resist upstream floods and reduce downstream impacts.

If this method is successful, the two great rivers of the Central Plains, as well as the countless rivers, can be crossed without boats. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang's heart trembled suddenly.

He was just a dream, but he didn't want to hear the conclusive feasibility from the mouth of the eldest grandson.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately turned around and reached out to grab Zhu Yunxi's wrist: "Brother Xi!" Say what you just said again! ”

The old man's voice was a little loud, and even became trembling.

attracted Zhu Gaochi and Zhang Ergong on the side to look sideways.

Zhu Yunxi chuckled: "The bridges in the Central Plains have always been mainly stone and wood, and because of their texture, the span is no more than tens of hundreds of meters. For example, the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, the river is deep and the water is rapid, and the bridge is crossed, not to mention the texture of the bridge material, the water flow rate alone can break all the bridges. ”

"And how does cement ensure that the bridges are not washed away?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked urgently, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Sun Er and Pan Deshan have made a deduction on the construction of the Yellow River channel dam. The upstream dam was built to intercept and divert the river water, and the silt on the riverbed was cleaned up at the location of the dam, and the cement piers were poured deep to the bottom. After the cement pier solidifies, the upstream dam is cleared, and the dam is reduced. ”

Zhu Yunxi said slowly, his expression calm.

He and Pan Deshan, just like him and Zhang Ergong, often put forward a feasible solution to a problem.

As for how to solve it, it is still up to Pan Deshan and Zhang Ergong to explore it specifically.

What I have is just a knowledge point that I don't have in this era, and how to implement it has to specialize in the art industry.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and thought about it, but he also remembered that a few days ago, the governor of the river had made a concert, and there was a mention of reducing the dam.

The old man sighed, his face became solemn, and his tone became deep: "What does the dam have to do with crossing this big river?" Brother Xi'er, if my dynasty can obey this great river and the moat as a smooth road, do you know how much impact it will have? ”

Zhu Yunxi nodded.

He thought for a moment about the sentence that today's moat has become smooth.

A slight smile on his face.

"My grandson knows it." Zhu Yunxi spoke softly and explained: "If the moat becomes a smooth road, I will no longer need to borrow boats to travel between the north and the south of the people. Merchants and merchants can also save the cost of boats, and the goods can be sold at the place where they are sold, and the price of the people can also be saved. ”

Speaking of this, Zhu Yunxi paused and looked at the old man.

Finally, he continued: "And the most important thing is that if all the rivers in the world can be turned into smooth roads, my army will fight in the south and in the north, and the war will be swift, the war horses will not stop, and the army will be indomitable, day and night.

The troops should be dispatched in the day, without the need for boats and boats to take time, and the iron hooves crossed the river in formation, and went straight to the outside of the nine sides, unimpeded, and the speed of the march was doubled. ”

How long does it take for a 10,000-strong Beijing army to set off from Yingtian City to Xuanfu Town?

Not to mention the road ahead.

Just crossing the Yangtze River outside the city from Yingtian City and stepping into the land north of the river takes a whole day.

The naval warships need to dock at the Longwan Wharf to send more than 10,000 soldiers to Jiangbei, and also pull and deliver war horses, ordnance, grain and grass and other military things.

If there is a bridge across the river, it only takes an hour for 10,000 soldiers and horses to go north.

The old man's eyes had begun to glow.

Zhu Yunxi coughed lightly: "As long as Pan Deshan's cement dam is built, it means that the imperial court can use the method of cement dam to lay piles under the river surface one by one, higher than the water surface, and then build a bridge deck on it. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, he didn't know about building bridges, but he knew that as long as the piles of these cement dams could really resist the erosion of the rivers, then it was definitely feasible to build bridges across these piles.

Bang bang.

Zhu Gaochi, who was not far away, bumped Zhang Ergong next to him with his elbow.

He turned his head to look at the rustic newcomer Zuo Lang of the Ministry of Works, and said in a low voice: "If I remember correctly, the squire has also handled the cement matter." What Brother Xi said today, can it be true? ”

Zhang Ergong frowned slightly.

He burned cement, built steam engines, built trains, and steam warships, and in the end he was engaged in things that were different from river control and bridge building.

Just think about it a little and estimate the plasticity and solidity of cement.

After Zhang Ergong pondered for a long time, he still spoke: "As long as Governor Pan's cement dam can really stand in the middle of the Yellow River, then what His Highness said is absolutely feasible!" ”

It was just a moment of effort, and Zhang Ergong had already thought of a way to construct.

Even if the cement dam is unreliable, as long as it can stand in the river to resist the erosion of the current, it is a big deal to close the spacing between the cement piers.

The cement piers are built higher to protect against possible future floods.

As long as the bridge deck is high enough, there is no need to worry about being washed away by the current.

Thinking about it, Zhang Ergong had already begun to think about which places in the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River outside Yingtian City could be used by the imperial court to build bridges across the river.

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang was already deeply immersed in the imagination of the smooth road to the moat, so much so that he never realized that the hand he was holding his eldest grandson had been holding tightly.

"Grandpa, it's time to get on the boat."

Zhu Yunxi endured the swelling pain in his wrist, looked at the river boat that was already leaning next to the steam warship, and immediately called softly.

"Huh? Yes! ”

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed, he looked up at the huge warship that covered the entire field of vision in front of him, and hurriedly lowered his head and frowned, letting go of his eldest grandson's arm that had been grasped by himself in the palm of his hand.

Because of the test, there are no officers and soldiers on the first steam warship of the Ming Dynasty, only a few sailors, sailors and gunners who are sailors and gunners of the normal navigation of complex warships, and a large number of craftsmen, and several craftsmen who have been awarded imperial court official positions from Longjiang Shipyard.

Since Zhang Ergong became an official of the Ming Dynasty with the status of a craftsman, the imperial court has also had several examinations, and selected craftsmen with merit or sufficient talent from the craftsmen under the rule of the imperial court to be promoted to become a craftsman official.

Although it is only the last stream, the impact is extraordinary.

Through the rickety staircase hanging on the outside of the ship's side, Zhu Yuanzhang stepped on the steam warship with great anticipation.

The Emperor was shocked and shocked today.

It was standing on a warship that was tossed with the waves, but his face was full of excitement.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyes and saw the huge mast erected high on the deck. Because it is to be moored, the design test of the new guns assembled will be carried out to test the fit of the new guns on the steam warship.

The smell of gunpowder wafting from the deck indicated that the firing tests of the guns had been going on many times.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked to the side facing Jiang Xinzhou on the deck, looked at the site on the shore that had been bombarded indiscriminately by artillery, and said casually: "Those are all caused by today's tests?" How accurate is the artillery on the ship? How powerful is it? If the warship starts, can it be guaranteed that the head will still be on target? ”

As the founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang was well versed in military affairs, and pointed out the most important problems of this steam warship in a few sentences.

Zhang Ergong looked at a green-robed craftsman officer who had been standing on the deck.

The other party immediately stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, the new artillery has been improved, and the original accuracy is more accurate than the old artillery of our dynasty. Now on the warship, although there is a bump in the current, it can be guaranteed that the accuracy is correct after two rounds of test firing, just like the old artillery.

After the ministers and others had verified that the anchor was anchored, the firing accuracy of the new guns on the warship could already be ensured.

Next, the ministers and others had to test the accuracy of the guns when the ship was sailing. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded again and again, his face was pleased.

Zhu Yunxi raised his eyes towards Jiang Xinzhou for a while, and waved his hand to a dense forest.

"Let's go over there and shoot for another round."

………………

?Pass?? Referral ticket?